Abstract

The growth of consulting archaeology in Ontario over the past twenty-five years has resulted in a situation where professional practitioners now undertake hundreds of projects each year. New sites are revealed every day in the cities and neighbourhoods that we live in and the vast majority of these rediscoveries occur without receiving a ripple of acknowledgement in the community. This raises questions about accountability, and it has been suggested that archaeologists have an obligation to public education and outreach. The results of a recent survey undertaken among archaeological practitioners in Southern Ontario suggests that the current system of cultural resource management in this province is lacking in policies and practices that permit meaningful communication with the public.